In order for the prospective student to be admitted to LadyKnight's employer (my alma mater) she has to prove that she has English competency by either taking the test or showing that she has taken the English courses already. In order to graduate from the University (or any other state-funded four-year college in my state) the student will need to take those two courses. The TOEFL is offered on a frequent basis worldwide - taking the courses would require months before she was acceptable for admission.

So you're saying she need to take all three classes anyway. First the TOEFL to prove her English skills and then the two classes to graduate. I think the student should have just been told that. The "or" is very confusing and the student was given too many details/scenarios. (unless I'm the one confused).

TOEFL isn't a class, it's a test, not terribly unlike the SAT or the ACT.Basically the situation is that Student can take the TOEFL, pass it and begin at University right away; OR student can take Comp I and II, and begin at University two semesters from now. However, if Student choses option 1, she will still need to take Comp I and II at University. It all depends upon how quickly she wants to start at University, and, to a certain degree, how good she is at taking standardized tests. I've had students who had the skills, but were poor test-takers, so acing the classes was a possibility for them, but they might not be able to pass the test.

Student SH is attending a community college in our great state. SH applies for admission to my university, which is not affiliated with her community college. SH contacts me to help her with her admission. SH is very difficult to understand (English is not her first language, but I am usually the best at understanding anyone) on the phone, and I have to close my door and turn off my music to understand her. SH does not listen well, and talks over me when I try to help her. SH received a bachelor's degree in a foreign country. I have tried emailing her, but she won't email me back.

Me: After looking at your file, I see that you have not taken English Composition I & II in the US. You will not be admissable by the university unless you take those courses or the TOEFL (a test of English). Even after you take the TOEFL, you will have to take English Comp I & II before being admitted to your program.SH: But I am a US citizen. Why do I have to take this test?Me: The test has nothing to do with your citizenship. You can take the test, or take the two English Comp courses. It is your choice.

This same conversation repeats daily over two weeks. We still can't get it through to her that she can't start unless she takes those courses. She doesn't want to talk to the advisor at her school, or drive to one of our sites to speak with one of ours. I am at the end of my rope. We have discovered that she wants a different answer and will keep calling until she gets it.

SH is back. Today alone, she has called 6 times and spent more than 30 minutes cumulative on the phone with our poor receptionist. She won't let him transfer her. I took pity on him and walked up to the desk to talk to her. She insisted on speaking with our (since retired) senior staff member. I explained that SR staff member no longer works here and, after looking at her file, I explained what steps she needs to take and sent them to her in an email. She has called four times since then.

I am at a loss.

It's confusing to me, so I can understand why it's confusing to her. You say "You have to take the TOEFL or English Comp I & II." Then you say "Even if you take the TOEFL, you still have to take English Comp I & II." Why not just tell her she has to take English Comp I & II, and skip the TOEFL part, because it looks like she has to take those two classes anyway?

In order for the prospective student to be admitted to LadyKnight's employer (my alma mater) she has to prove that she has English competency by either taking the test or showing that she has taken the English courses already. In order to graduate from the University (or any other state-funded four-year college in my state) the student will need to take those two courses. The TOEFL is offered on a frequent basis worldwide - taking the courses would require months before she was acceptable for admission.

The TOEFL is to demonstrate she is capable of communicating in English. She uses a translator when on the phone, and would have to demonstrate competency in speaking English to be admitted. Conversations take a very long time with her (she interrupts every statement on my end) and she will not respond to email, although she does read them.

I used to take orders from store owners over the phone for all the stuff drug stores sell. There was one guy who always asked for "cigarettes in the red package". I don't smoke, but even if I did, I'd need more than that - size of cigarette, number of packages in the case, and, oh, I dunno - how about a NAME?

Whereupon he'd tell me to "go look on the shelf". Now, I wasn't allowed to go into our warehouse, and even if I could just leave my desk and go run upstairs, there were certain things that had VERY restricted access. Cigarettes were one of them. I'd try to tell him this, and he'd get exasperated, saying "just go check! How hard is it to go look on the shelf?"

Then he'd ask suspiciously "Are you NEW there?", and when I replied "Actually, I've worked here for over a year,", he'd say "Never mind, honey, you'll get the hang of it eventually."

I used to take orders from store owners over the phone for all the stuff drug stores sell. There was one guy who always asked for "cigarettes in the red package". I don't smoke, but even if I did, I'd need more than that - size of cigarette, number of packages in the case, and, oh, I dunno - how about a NAME?

Whereupon he'd tell me to "go look on the shelf". Now, I wasn't allowed to go into our warehouse, and even if I could just leave my desk and go run upstairs, there were certain things that had VERY restricted access. Cigarettes were one of them. I'd try to tell him this, and he'd get exasperated, saying "just go check! How hard is it to go look on the shelf?"

I used to take orders from store owners over the phone for all the stuff drug stores sell. There was one guy who always asked for "cigarettes in the red package". I don't smoke, but even if I did, I'd need more than that - size of cigarette, number of packages in the case, and, oh, I dunno - how about a NAME?

Whereupon he'd tell me to "go look on the shelf". Now, I wasn't allowed to go into our warehouse, and even if I could just leave my desk and go run upstairs, there were certain things that had VERY restricted access. Cigarettes were one of them. I'd try to tell him this, and he'd get exasperated, saying "just go check! How hard is it to go look on the shelf?"

"Since you seem completely incapable of it, you tell me."

That said, I'm guessing Marlboros.

I'd say marlboros too but here most cigarette companies have one product with red packaging, usually indicating their strongest (most amount of nicotine) cigarette.

I used to take orders from store owners over the phone for all the stuff drug stores sell. There was one guy who always asked for "cigarettes in the red package". I don't smoke, but even if I did, I'd need more than that - size of cigarette, number of packages in the case, and, oh, I dunno - how about a NAME?

Whereupon he'd tell me to "go look on the shelf". Now, I wasn't allowed to go into our warehouse, and even if I could just leave my desk and go run upstairs, there were certain things that had VERY restricted access. Cigarettes were one of them. I'd try to tell him this, and he'd get exasperated, saying "just go check! How hard is it to go look on the shelf?"

"Since you seem completely incapable of it, you tell me."

That said, I'm guessing Marlboros.

I'd say marlboros too but here most cigarette companies have one product with red packaging, usually indicating their strongest (most amount of nicotine) cigarette.

Marlboros are red and white. Dorals are solid red. I'd have guessed Dorals, but Marlboros are more popular.

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Some people lift weights. I lift measures. It's a far more esoteric workout. - (Quoted from a personal friend)

Trouble is, even if I'd been able to figure out the brand based solely on "red package", I still needed specifics on size, menthol/non-menthol, number of packages in the case, etc. ... and he couldn't tell me THAT, either.

Then there were the customers who apparently didn't realize that light bulbs come in different wattages, because they'd just ask for "light bulbs" and get irritated when I asked for more information.

There was a kid book I enjoyed, called "The Little Old man Who Could Not Read" and it detailed the grocery store trip he took on his own when his wife left for a few days. Everything he bought looked like the right packaging to him, but every box and can was not the food he expected. He became grumpy, and HUNGRY!

He had only learned color and shape, not the actual words, until he HAD to. When his wife returned, he was working on learning to read! And shop! And feed himself!

Trouble is, even if I'd been able to figure out the brand based solely on "red package", I still needed specifics on size, menthol/non-menthol, number of packages in the case, etc. ... and he couldn't tell me THAT, either.

Then there were the customers who apparently didn't realize that light bulbs come in different wattages, because they'd just ask for "light bulbs" and get irritated when I asked for more information.

Actually, there's sort of a common scheme with cigarettes. Red boxes are full flavor. Gold/brown/sometimes blue are lights. Greens are menthols. Every once in a while, you'll see a blue package that's not quite menthol, but more pepperminty instead. Greys and slivers are ultra-lights. Camels are the exception to the red=full flavor rule. I'm not recalling off-hand what color the little tab on the top of the box is.

Of course, there's still the question of size. Most brands come "short" and "long" sizes. For the most part, if it's not specified, they want the short ones. If you want the long ones you generally specifiy "100's" or "99's" (depending on brands).

Regardless of all that he was still being ridiculous with the "red box". Ugh.

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Some people lift weights. I lift measures. It's a far more esoteric workout. - (Quoted from a personal friend)

I wonder if the cigarettes are for him. most cigarette smokers can rattle off their preferred brand like it was their address.

I missed it in the original post on my first read as well, but the OP of the cigarette post works in an ordering facility and the person asking for the "red box" is trying to order large quantities for his store.

Trouble is, even if I'd been able to figure out the brand based solely on "red package", I still needed specifics on size, menthol/non-menthol, number of packages in the case, etc. ... and he couldn't tell me THAT, either.

Then there were the customers who apparently didn't realize that light bulbs come in different wattages, because they'd just ask for "light bulbs" and get irritated when I asked for more information.

This is me shopping for hubby. He sends me to the hardware store for say, No More Gaps. Since I have been shopping for him before I know to ask "What kind?"

Him: How many kinds can there be?

Me: Based on when you sent me for screws there are probably at least ones for wood and metal.

Him : Don't be silly, just get whatever they have.

Me: What do you need it for?

Him: Gaps in the wall boards

I get to the hardware store and there are (I counted) thirteen types of No More Gaps in our small store. I manage to get the right one.

I missed it in the original post on my first read as well, but the OP of the cigarette post works in an ordering facility and the person asking for the "red box" is trying to order large quantities for his store.

Yep ... And woe betide you if you sent the wrong stuff! We were NOT allowed to guess.

I worked for a county library in the UK. The Library I worked for was on the border of the county and people could be members of both county librarys if they chose. It's a free service. Each county has there own set of librarys and they are completely autonomous within that county.

I got a phone call on our late night (every library stayed open till 7PM one night a week)A lady had rented a DVD from another library and they had left the security lock on it. That library had closed for the night and so she was calling the next library closest to her that was still open to see if we would unlock the case.

This confused me as no library in my county uses locking cases. I explained this and we realized she got it from Other county Library.

Annoying but hay, Except...

She does not get it. I explained six ways to Sunday, that because we don't lock our DVD's, we have no way to unlock Other library's DVD for her.

Her: But she thought she was allowed a card for our Library. Why wont we unlock it?Me: See aboveHer: But her library is closedMe: See aboveHer: She knows we don't have anything to do with her library, but no library in her county is open (They don't stay open as late as us.)Me: see above

This goes on for 20 minutes with her getting more and more annoyed. All I could do was keep apologizing and saying I would love to help, and if we had the means to do it we would unlock it. However we can not as we don't have the key/gadget to unlock it.

In the end she huffed and moaned I was "no help" before hanging up on me.

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“For too long, we've assumed that there is a single template for human nature, which is why we diagnose most deviations as disorders. But the reality is that there are many different kinds of minds. And that's a very good thing.” - Jonah Lehrer